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This is a great department where students can have experiences that will enrich their lives and prepare them for the future. Our programs provide the exciting opportunity to study individual development, family relationships and consumer issues as they affect each other, and to learn how to improve the quality of life for individuals and families in many settings. Our mission is to provide high quality undergraduate and graduate instruction to help students develop greater personal understanding and prepare for successful professional careers. For those who are exploring the professional options provided in this major, we are available to answer your questions and to help you make an informed decision.

The mission of the Department of Human Development and Family Science is (a) to provide students with a comprehensive, integrated knowledge of families and individuals across the life span as appropriate preparation for careers in human services and/or graduate study, and (b) to conduct research on the variety of factors and contexts relevant to human and family development. The goal of the Department is to enhance the quality of life for individuals of all ages through teaching, research, and service in a manner consistent with the University's land grant mission. The Department recognizes the importance of an ecological approach to the study of human development and families, and utilizes a systemic approach in teaching, research, and service. Interactions of individuals and families with the economic, political, judicial, religious, and educational systems are emphasized. The Department also serves as a resource base for citizens of North Dakota in the area of individual and family life.

An inter-disciplinary study of the family that integrates psychological, sociological, family science, legal, educational and theological perspectives which serve as the foundation for equipping church and other professionals to develop lifespan family education in various contexts. An emphasis is placed upon the development of competencies and applications of family science and related disciplines in one's ministry or work-world as well as identification of resources that will lead to the strengthening of families through educational resources, events and programs.

HDFS is a leader in applied interdisciplinary scholarship focused on reducing risk and enhancing resilience within individuals and among families across cultures and generations. The distinguishing feature of HDFS is the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary integration of instruction, research and application between and among human development, family science, early childhood education, gerontology, and marriage and family therapy. Because integrative approaches are necessarily broad, the department's focus is on the many ways resilience may be discovered, developed, mastered, and maintained across human processes and contexts.

The primary emphases of the department are human development and family processes within the context of larger sociocultural systems. The distinguishing feature of HDFS is this contextual focus. Individual lifespan development is viewed as transpiring within a web of close relationships/family relationships, and family systems are seen as both context for individual and interpersonal behaviors and as units nested in larger sociocultural environments. Our unique niche is a commitment to family diversity and a multicultural perspective in research, teaching, and service. In each of these areas, we focus on the diversity that characterizes human development within the family context. Because we define family diversity and multiculturalism broadly, our focus is on the multitude of ways that individuals within families may differ, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, family structure, nationality, geographic location, and sexual orientation.

Human Ecology is an interdisciplinary department that offers a holistic systems approach to examine the interrelationships that individuals and families have with social, economic, and political factors and conditions. This student-centered, research intensive department offers a BSc in Human Ecology with a major in Family Ecology (minors in Aging, Child and Youth Studies, Community Diversity, Community Ecology, Community Nutrition, International Development), MSc in Aging, MSc in Family Ecology and Practice, and a PhD in Human Ecology (with streams in Aging and Children, Youth and Families). Undergraduate and graduate programs focus on individuals and families across the life course, and on the development and evaluation of policy and programs to enhance individual and family well-being. Research programs focus on understanding the physical, economic, and social aspects of aging with a focus on aging well, and on enhancing the health and well-being of children, youth, and families across the life course with an emphasis on vulnerable groups.

Ours is a student-centered department offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in family science. Our graduate program offers emphasis areas in aging, adolescent development, couples and family therapy (master's level only), family finance and economics, and family processes (see http://fam.uky.edu/emphasis for more infomration). Our therapy program is fully accredited, and the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential is available for graduates of our bachelor's and master's programs. Within the department we have the Adolescent Development Lab and the Family Interaction Lab, we operate the Family Center with clinical and educational programming, and the departmemnt is affiliated with the college-wide Research Center for Families and Children.

The master's degree program in human services (HMS) is designed to provide advanced professional education for students who have an undergraduate education in human services or who have completed specific prerequisite courses to prepare them for study in the field.

It is a multidisciplinary degree that prepares students to become competent as human services professionals for multiple roles and settings. The degree contains a core curriculum that teaches skills and concepts needed by all human services professionals and integrates content from several academic concentrations to allow students to develop specific expertise.

Available concentrations:

Alcoholism and Substance Abuse

Child and Family Studies

Gerontology

Social Services Administration

Within some concentrations, students are able to obtain certification. Students are prepared to practice with competency and confidence within all concentrations.

Study in this degree program requires that students examine aspects of their past lives and family experiences in an effort to understand their beliefs, values and biases. This self-awareness is necessary when working with vulnerable populations.

The degree program teaches students to appreciate contemporary and historic human characteristics, issues, and problems and to plan for the delivery of human services in the future. Courses teach students to design, assess, treat, plan for, advocate for, counsel with, manage, and collaborate with individuals, groups, or agencies needing and using human services.

Full time students complete most requirements within two years. Part time students can usually complete the program between 3 and 4 years. All students are required to complete the requirements within 6 years following acceptance into the program.

The Family Studies and Gerontology program at Mount Saint Vincent University offers two options: (1) Gerontology, which focuses on issues relating to aging in contemporary society, and (2) Family Studies, which encompasses a study of individuals and families across the life course. Students are prepared for a variety of careers in the social welfare and family support sectors, which focus on prevention, support, and community development. The Department offers undergraduate minors and concentrations in (a) family studies, and (b) gerontology, A minor/concentration in Family Studies or Gerontology complements other programs such as sociology, psychology, public policy, and women's studies by providing a focused examination of family or aging issues as well as giving students applied skills (e.g., program planning, advocacy, communication skills, policy development and analysis) that will be beneficial in working with families and aging individuals.

A thesis-based Masters of Arts (M.A.) in Family Studies and Gerontology is also offered. Faculty engage in research related to areas such as unpaid caregiving, caregiving policy, retirement, military families, family life education, qualitative methodology, LGBT families, individuals aging with life-long disabilities, sexuality, division of labour in families, immigrants, and elder abuse.

Areas of Study

Family Science/Studies - Master's

Family Science/Studies - Undergraduate

Older Adults (Gerontology) - Master's

Older Adults (Gerontology) - Undergraduate

Last Updated

August 22, 2013

The discipline of Family Science is vibrant and growing. Visit Family.Science to learn more.